All Over Again
by Steel and Ink
Summary: Jenna finds the Nutcracker in her kitchen battling mouse soldiers! Shrunk by the Mouse King, she must travel with Nutcracker/Eric to get back to her normal life. Sound familiar? WRONG. Jenna's got a lot more spirit than Clara did...and she's not afraid to show it.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys, so I'm going through a Barbie movie phase right now, and I was watching my favorite one the other night when I had this idea, because we all know how stupid Barbie is :/

ENJOY!

"Merry Christmas, Jenna! Good night!" my sister calls before shutting the door. I smirk and head over to my dresser to take off my jewelry from the party our mom threw. Our relatives finally left a few minutes ago, so I'm free to go to bed.

Popping open my jewelry box, I smile softly as the music plays. Clara and Eric from _Barbie and the Nutcracker _spin above my drawers of jewelry in their respective goofy outfits.

If you're going to put a hot guy in a movie, NEVER make him do ballet.

As a Christmas tradition, I watch _Barbie and the Nutcracker _every year after Christmas dinner. I love it all: the magic, the candy, the Nutcracker…my only real problem with the movie is Clara. She's not very bright and not a very good enemy of the Mouse King, and nobody can just magically do such wonderful ballet, even in Parthenia. I don't understand how Eric fell in love with her, or how he could choose her over ruling a kingdom. He abandoned his responsibility.

Time goes by, and as the film draws to a close, I sit on the bed wishing with all my heart that I could prove to the Nutcracker he had made the wrong choice. That he should go back to fighting evil and rule Parthenia, to make sure the Mouse King is actually dead.

I'm convinced he's alive: falling off a collapsing bat that's been hit with a snowball probably wouldn't kill you.

I put the cassette back in the case and lie back down on my bed. Shoving my iPod headphones into my ears, I play one of my favorite songs: "Bluebird" by Sara Bareilles. It's a great song, in case you ever want to look it up on Youtube. It's pretty sad, though: a perfect song to listen to when you're depressed by something.

As I drift off into sleep, I send a little prayer up to whoever's listening: _Please. Help me show him he was wrong._

I black out soon afterwards, the soft piano chords rippling gently in my ears.

A few hours later, I'm woken by a small noise. I blink and sit up, glancing at my clock. Midnight exactly.

Normally, I would assume my dad was crashing away on his computer trying to finish his work for the next day, but this sound wasn't typing on a keyboard. It sounded almost like…_swords. _

I leap up from bed, clinging to my iPod, and I quietly tiptoe towards the kitchen as I remove the headphones from my ears and shove my iPod into my pocket. My lucky necklace is still around my neck; I thought I took it off before bed…?

I quietly change into my comfiest outfit. Light blue elbow-sleeve plaid shirt, comfy jeans stained with brown paint from my time working on the middle school musical two years ago. Black Converse.

Ah, the comforts of the 21st century. If I were Clara doing this, I'd be screwed in that crazy little pink nightgown.

Reaching the kitchen, I gently pull the door open to find the craziest thing I've ever seen.

The Nutcracker….MY Nutcracker from the Barbie movie…is standing on the granite counter fighting off several mouse guards. The Mouse King sits nearby, grinning wickedly at the spectacle as he shifts his scepter from a sword to a crossbow and back to a scepter again.

I blink and rub my eyes. I have to be dreaming. I pinch myself hard and yelp. No, not a dream.

Unfortunately, the Mouse King heard me. He stands up, walking straight past his soldiers, heading for me with his scepter glowing at his side.

Definitely not a dream.

I'm not going to walk away from danger, though. I live for adventures.

I grin and leap into the kitchen, snatching up the Mouse King in my hands and pinching his little golden scepter away from him. He begins yelling. "No no no, not again! Not another idiot girl who thinks she can save the day!"

He struggles against me, but I hold tight and walk over to the window. Opening it wide, I stretch my arm back to throw him as far away as I can.

Suddenly, a sharp stinging pain flames through my hand, and I yelp and clutch it, dropping both the Mouse King and the scepter. I turn to see one of the mouse soldiers, who fired a tiny arrow straight into my fist. The Nutcracker has knocked out the rest and heads for the one who shot.

I grip my wrist and try to still the pain. My hand burns dramatically, and I head for the sink: the arrow must have been on fire when the soldier shot it.

Before I can reach the cool water, I hear cruel laughter, and I whirl around just in time to see a tiny yellow blast hit my ankle. Suddenly I'm shrinking. I'm shrinking faster and faster until finally I'm just shorter than the Mouse King, who walks at me with an evil grin, hitting his scepter against his hand.

"Not so tough now, are we, young lady?" he hisses. As he raises his scepter to blast me into who-knows-what, I rummage desperately through my pockets for any kind of weapon. My hand hits cool metal: _my iPod._

I yank it out. Even in its shrunken state, it should be able to play music pretty loudly. I turn it on and rip out the headphones, searching for the loudest song I have.

I turn the volume up full blast and plug my ears. As the loud, angry guitar chords rip out across the kitchen, the Mouse King lowers his scepter and clutches his head with both hands. Fleeing across the floor, he runs into a mousehole I never noticed under the sink, clinging desperately to his scepter.

I reach down and turn off the music as the Nutcracker hops down from the counter. "I found some rope to take care of those soldiers," he said. "I'm sure someone will get rid of them in the morning."

I blink at him. This is really the Nutcracker. I think.

I give him a confused look, and he sighs. "Well, it's what you think: I'm the Nutcracker, in the…wood…flesh. Prince Eric, if you prefer. Lovely to meet you." He removes his cap and bows.

"You can stand up," I told him. "I'm not a fan of all that princey formal crap." He rose, huffing as he replaced his hat. "I was just trying to be friendly," he said. "I don't even know your name."

I reached out and shook his hand firmly. "Jenna," I said. "Nice to meet you." He smiles and returns my handshake. His wooden hands feel strange against my own warm ones, and I end the shake as fast as I start it.

He sighs again. "Come on, then, Jenna," he said. "We'll need to find a way to help you be your normal size again." He heads towards the mousehole.

I don't follow him.

He turns back at the mousehole. "Coming?" he asks. "You can't stay like that for the rest of your life. Surely you want help?" "I'm coming," I tell him.

I walk up to the mousehole, gazing at the entrance. "You're being very calm about this," I noted. He sighs. "It's all happened before," he says, before vanishing into the darkness of the mousehole.


	2. Chapter 2

I follow the Nutcracker, vanishing into the blackness of the mousehole. Suddenly, I trip and I'm falling and flying through a glowing blue tunnel with sparks flowing everywhere.

The Nutcracker flows in front of me, yelling, as we pass over several glowing white holes before landing in a cavern filled with snow.

He sighs. "We must have taken a wrong turn back there. We're stuck in this ice cave."

Walking over to the wall, he pulls out his sword, slashing at the ice as hard as he can before sheathing it again. "No good," he says. "These walls are solid ice."

I frown and approach him. "There has to be some way out of here," I mutter. "Can we get back up into that tunnel?" "No," he tells me. "The tunnel only works one way. Even if we could climb back up that snow, we'd just be pushed back into this place."

I sigh and curse under my breath. Pacing the room, I try to think of ways to get out of the cave. Suddenly, I feel eyes on me, and sure enough when I turn around the Nutcracker is watching me.

"WHAT?!" I snap. I am NOT a patient person and I definitely don't like stalkers.

"Well…what you did back in your kitchen, with the music. That was very clever of you." I blush lightly and scowl. "Uh…thanks. I guess."

Suddenly, a little buzzing noise comes around and flies straight into the Nutcracker's arm. "Hey!" he cries. The little buzzing thing takes the form of a small ice fairy, who starts unleashing a hail of tiny beeps at him from her mouth: her wings are bent from running into the Nutcracker's hard wooden frame.

He laughs at the collapsed fairy in his hand. "Well, you should have been more careful. I didn't ask to be wooden."

The little fairy pouts at him and raises her hands. A small gale shapes a snowball in midair and fires it at Nutcracker, hitting him square in the face.

I can't help myself: I start laughing like crazy. "What's so funny?" he snarls. "Can't you see the grudge of an ice fairy is a terrible thing to have?" I keep laughing, clutching my stomach to avoid falling over. "I…I'm sorryyyyyyy…" I say through my giggles. "It's just…your face!" I collapse on the ground in a fit of laughter while he pouts at me.

I reach for the fairy in his hand, and she hops into my warm palm, blowing a raspberry at Nutcracker. With the tips of my shaking fingers, I gently smooth out her wings, and she smiles and grins at me before flying off.

Then a snowball hits me in the back of the head. I turn around to find Nutcracker, tossing another round white orb in his hand. "You do realize that meant war, don't you?"

I laugh and form my own snowball, and we throw them at the same time: he misses, but I don't, and my slush ball knocks off his hat. Laughing gleefully, I launch another attack before he can protect himself, and soon all I can see is his hand held up in surrender.

Reaching for his wooden palm, I grab it and try to heave him out of the pile of snow. Before I can lift him up though, he pulls me down, and I land in a heap on top of his red painted jacket. "Payback," he whispers, shoving a mound of snow down the back of my shirt.

I squeal and leap up, jumping all over trying to get the snow shaken out of my shirt as Nutcracker rises and laughs at me. Once the snow is gone, I consider tackling him, but I know it would end in a huge migraine and some splinters.

I put on my pouty face and stomp away from his laughter, sitting down cross-legged facing the ice wall. "Icy bastard," I say to the blue rock in front of me.

Suddenly, little blue lights sparkle around my head. Facing the rest of the room, I find them glowing everywhere I can see, even by the Nutcracker. I laugh as he stares at them, fear in his eyes, probably wondering what will happen to him for laughing at an ice fairy.

"Last time I saw these fairies, I was running from a rock giant," he tells me. "NOW what's going to happen?"

The little fairies started doing a ballet number, and I groaned. I hate ballet. I hate dancing in general. Whoever started it was an idiot.

As the stupid little things danced around my head in their snowflake tutus, I glanced at Nutcracker. He stared sadly at the fairies, probably remembering who he had been with the last time he had seen them.

I, meanwhile, was having a problem.

These fairies were dancing straight at me, forcing me to back up towards the ice wall. I was already pressing against it, but if these fairies pliéd any closer I was going to have some problems.

I pressed my palm against the ice and cried out as pain shot through my hand: I was jabbing a piece of ice right where the mouse soldier had shot a burning arrow into my palm.

As the wound started reopening and drawing blood, I clutched it with my other hand as the fairies stopped dancing. One little fairy, the one whose wings I had straightened, approached me and pulled on my injured hand.

Reaching down, she touched the wound before glancing up at me with worry and whispering something up to her friends. As they flew about panicking and screaming little beeps at Nutcracker, my little friend bent and kissed the wound.

My cut stinging badly, I released a soft cry of pain as she flew away. Looking down, I saw the cut had turned whitish-gray, the color of ice, but that dark red stains crept to the surface. A protective layer of ice had formed over the wound, but I doubted it would last long.

Nutcracker began walking towards me, concern spreading over his face. Kneeling beside me, he whispered, "May I see?" I showed him the now-purple cut, and if wood could turn white I swear he would. "I was afraid of this," he mutters, and he turns back to the fairies.

"Thank you for warning us," he tells them. "I must ask for your help once again: I will get the antidote for the venom, but we first must leave this cave. Can you help us escape?"

The fairies' glowing grew brighter as they nodded their assent, and they began flying straight at the wall above me.

Nutcracker grabbed my arm and drew me away from the ice wall right as the fairies rammed into it. Ducking away from the flying ice shards, Nutcracker huddled over me to protect me, and I shrank as small as I could possibly go.

The fairies had vanished, and we were just sitting there a moment before I cleared my throat. "Um, the fairies are gone," I mutter, being crushed under his wooden weight. All I receive is a blank stare, and I sigh. "You can get off me now…?"

"Oh. Yes, of course. Sorry about that." He blushes a little through his wood frame as he rises, careful to take my non-injured hand to help me up.

As we exit the cave into the sun's bright glare, I turn to him.

"What did the fairies tell you that made you so worried?" I ask him. The way he and those little tutu girls had talked about me was making me nervous.

Sighing, he held up his hand to shield his eyes from the sunlight. "That arrow the mouse soldier shot you with had Estero poison on the tip," he says. "We need to find the antidote before the next full moon or you're going to have several problems. The most important one being you becoming a permanent servant of the Mouse King."

Without another word, he starts down the stone steps leading through some peppermint-scented pine trees to the base of the mountain.

Chasing after him, I'm breathless when I catch up. Keeping his slow pace, I mutter to myself, "Why does everything weird always happen to me?"

Nutcracker grins. "Sometimes I ask myself the same question."


	3. Chapter 3

Following Nutcracker down the stone steps, I, being the clumsy idiot I am, trip on the last stair. "Fucking step," I mutter, and he turns around to see me rubbing my knee.

"Are you all right?" he asks, running back, concern in his voice. I nod. "Yeah, I'm fine. It'll just be a bruise." He offers his hand to help me up, but I stand on my own, and he frowns at me. "You don't understand chivalry, do you?" he asks, a note of disappointment in his tone. I sigh and roll my eyes. "I live in the 21st century. I'm not exactly helpless," I tell him before I cross my arms and storm away. He follows me as I curse under my breath. "Bastard thinks I'm some dumb blonde like that asshole Clara…I'll show him!"

Without warning, I start running, my aching knee screaming in pain as I sprint away from Nutcracker. I can hear his clumsy wooden feet clopping after me, his desperate cry of "Slow down! You don't know where you're going!" growing fainter behind me.

I laugh at the wind in my face. Silly Nutcracker: he can't seem to understand the fact that I'm not a useless little princess like Clara. Besides, I've seen the movie at least ten times: I know where I'm going.

I turn around but don't stop running, yelling backwards as I call to him. "Forget it! I'll find this anti-venom and the spell for my size myself! See you around, dork!"

I jog into the woods on my left and quickly climb a tree. As Nutcracker's loud footsteps pass by, I shrink myself into a tiny ball on a larger branch of the tree. Eventually I hear his voice far away: "Jenna! Come back! I have to help you!"

I smile wickedly to myself. Fat chance I'm coming back.

Since the sound of him is so distant, I quietly slip down from the tree and tiptoe away from the path, into the woods. Nutcracker is a trained soldier, and I'll have to deceive a good ear. I'm walking as quietly as I can when the worst happens: I step on a twig. It cracks in half with a loud SNAP! and I curse the branch and its many descendants as I hear Nutcracker's clopping footsteps turn around and head back towards me. I sprint away, ignoring the pain in my knee and hand, running as hard as I can.

_I don't need Nutcracker's help, _I tell myself. _He'll only slow me down. _

Luck was on my side, or at least the villagers of Parthenia. A familiar rope ladder drops from a tree with a hissed whisper of "Up here!"

I latch onto the third rung and begin climbing, speeding up as Nutcracker's clunking footsteps grow louder behind me.

I reach the top of the ladder and heave myself out onto the platform, pulling the rope ladder up with my foot. Below, I can hear Nutcracker run straight past, yelling my name. I take a deep breath and exhale slowly before standing up to get a look at the people who have helped me.

The familiar Captain Candy, with his little turban, stands next to me, just an inch or two shorter than I. He looks older, and I smile gently at the worry lines in his brow. He stands tall as he asks me, "Who are you?"

"I'm Jenna," I reply simply. "I'm going through some troubles right now."

He nods his head and gestures down. "I suppose that ridiculous wooden figure happens to be one of them?" I sigh and nod. "He is indeed."

Captain Candy nods at me. "Come into the office. We have much to discuss."

I follow him into the hollowed trunk of a tree, furnished with a simple desk and cluttered with different maps and documents. He pulls out a chair from the piles of paper. "Come, sit," he says, so I do. My knee is killing me from running that hard so soon after I hurt it, and I guess I must have made a face when I sat, because Captain Candy frowns at me. "You are injured?" he asks.

I nod. "A twisted knee and a hand filled with venom. I have quite a few problems, actually."

His eyes widen. "Estero venom?" he inquires. I nod, and he jogs over to take a look. Pulling my hand into his, he examines my cut hand with a grave look. "Luckily for you, I know where to find antidote for this. It is a two-day's journey, to the docks along the Sea of Storms. The antidote is the seaweed washed up along the shore." "Thank you," I tell him. I really am grateful: this venom had never come up in the movie, so I'd had no idea what the antidote was, but I know where to find the Sea of Storms.

"I will help you to pack some supplies for your journey. You must not get sidetracked, for the venom's powers of obedience will take place in four days' time, and then it will be too late for any cure," he mumbles as he rummages through some drawers.

Pulling out a strip of cloth, he just says, "Hand," and I stick it out in front of him. As he wraps my cut in gauze, he stares intently at the bandage while asking, "How did you get involved with the Nutcracker?"

I sigh and lean back into the chair. "It's a long story," I say. "Well, actually, it's a pretty short story: I just met him about two hours ago. It feels like a longer one, though: I've been watching the movie ever since I was four." I slap my hand over my mouth: I should not have mentioned the movie to him. Not to anyone.

Captain Candy finishes wrapping the bandage around my hand and gazes at me intently. "I know about the movie," he tells me. "He and that goddamn Clara, causing us all problems. Oh, it had a happy enough ending, I suppose: Eric going back to Clara. But they didn't show what happened after he left."

I lean forward. "What happened?" I ask. "I've got a little time to spare."

Captain Candy sighs and sits cross-legged on the ground, beginning his tale. "After Eric left, no one knew what to do. He hadn't chosen an heir, hadn't told anyone to be in charge: he just left. Major Mint and I tried to manage, certainly, but Mint grew too old to run a kingdom: he never has the best health, poor fellow. I ran things on my own until the Mouse King came back."

He frowned at the wall. "He came very suddenly," he tells me. "I had just enough time to escape with the crown, but had to leave the scepter behind: the king was back to his normal size. I suppose he never died: being hit with a snowball doesn't exactly kill you." _My words exactly, _I think to myself as the Captain continues. "The Mouse took over, just as he'd wanted, and he got the scepter too. He's been searching for the crown ever since: it's been a month or two, I believe. I have it hidden safely, of course." He sighs and stops, but I have a question, and I ask it.

"Where does Nutcracker- I mean Prince Eric- come into this mess?" I ask him gently.

He sighs. "Oh, that spoiled rat-bastard of a friend. He came back a couple weeks into the overthrow, confused and heartbroken: Clara had left him." "I KNEW IT!" I yell to the ceiling. Captain Candy gives me a strange look before continuing. "Yes, well…Eric came back and went on his own with only a sword to try to regain the throne he doesn't deserve. The Mouse King turned him back into a Nutcracker, forcing him to become a gladiator. Every few days the Mouse King transports him to some random place and has him fight several of his best soldiers. I suppose he's still alive, since you've been running from him. Which brings me back to my original point, my dear: why were you running from him?"

I sigh again. "Well, from what you've told me, I'm guessing the Mouse King chose my kitchen as one of his 'gladiator arenas'," I say, staring at the ceiling. "I woke up in the middle of the night, and I walk into the kitchen, and there the little bastard is, grinning at the Nutcracker's fighting skills. I managed to grab his scepter, but then one of his soldiers shot me in the hand with a poison-tipped arrow, so the King escaped and shrank me. The Nutcracker had me follow him here, and I figured he'd just leave me alone if I followed him, but he's just been controlling and annoying."

I grunt angrily and continue. "So, a little after we got here, I made a run for it, and got a huge head start on those cloppy, clumsy feet of his. Then you threw down the rope ladder, and here I am, eager to find the antidote to this venom before I become the 'Mouse King's servant forever' or whatever. However, I am definitely at least _twice _as eager to avoid the Nutcracker."

Captain Candy nods. "I'll help you how I can. Do you need to rest before you head off?" I shake my head; I'm really not tired, despite the fact that I probably just ran about half a mile.

He shows me out the door of the tree, a knapsack and map in his hands, and I follow him to a tiny shed. Opening it, he reveals bread, apples, salt pork, and bits of gingerbread. "We have meat and things of course," he tells me. "But you won't need any of that on your journey. Here, take this while I pack in some supplies." Handing me the map, he loads portions of food into the knapsack.

I examine the map: it's pretty simple. When I reach the bottom of the rope ladder, I walk straight until I hit the coastline, then follow the beach around to the shore of the Sea of Storms. I roll it up and place it in the bag Captain Candy holds before me. "That should be everything you need," he says. "Find the beach and follow it until the air turns cold and the water turns gray. I wish you luck, my dear. I wish luck to any unfortunate enough to cross paths with our idiot Prince Eric."

I laugh and thank him before lowering the rope ladder and climbing down to the ground, waving goodbye to the Captain's face peering down at me before setting off.


	4. Chapter 4

Major mint is not dead. Just know that.

ps ive forgotten the disclaimer for every single chapter of this -_- SO I don't own Barbie movies of any kind. good for me; I can just write these fanfictions without getting sued!

Heading down the shadowy trail, I take a deep breath in. The crisp, clean smell of the peppermint pine trees fills my nose as I begin skipping. The dark green needles crunch under my feet as I wander: if the royalty didn't have so many issues, Parthenia wouldn't be a bad place to live.

After a few hours of walking, I notice the sky turn from blue to lavender and look around for someplace to camp for the night. Settling under a large pine a few feet from the path, I pull out the map Captain Candy gave me. Its appearance has changed: rather than just the route to the Sea of Storms, it shows the entire kingdom, as well as…footprints?

Little moving footprints wander all over the map, and tiny names scrawled in ink follow each pair. My mind immediately thinks of The Marauder's Map, from Harry Potter: it's exactly the same thing, but it shows people without me having to whisper a spell.

Unrolling it fully, I eagerly explore the map. I find myself in the area labeled "Peppermint Forest" before letting my eyes continue. To the east of me, Captain Candy paces as the rest of the villagers live life in their treehouses. It's pretty far from me: I've covered a lot of ground.

Just north of the village are the words "Ice Cave", printed over a large blue circle. My way in, but not out, and I frown as I continue exploring the map.

In the pink building labeled "Palace", far to the southwest, I can see the Mouse King's footsteps walking the castle. "Bastard," I hiss at the map. "Enjoy your reign while you're king of this place. It won't last long."

The Mouse King won't be sitting on the throne when I leave. I promised myself that when he shrank me.

Besides the village and the king, no one's in Parthenia. Literally, _no one. _A few mouse soldiers are scattered around the Palace and the lands near it, but besides that, nobody else is on the map.

Except for that silly Nutcracker.

He's running in circles around the gingerbread village far to the south of me, and I smirk. He's nowhere close to my path, and I think it's safe to say I'll make it to the Sea of Storms and back without running into him.

I tuck the map safely back in my knapsack and lay down, trying to sleep. Despite the crazy few hours I've had, I'm not tired at all, so I just stand up and keep walking again. Munching an apple, I head further down the path in silence, in case a few animals are around.

Suddenly, I hear a loud crack from the tree above, and I brace myself for battle as a tall, lean creature comes leaping at me. I punch at the air, sending my fists flying, but the creature dodges my every attack easily. "Calm yourself, my dear," a low voice murmurs. "I'll only harm you if, uh, if you were, say, a servant of the Mouse."

I recognize the stuttering voice and straighten up, lowering my arms. "Major Mint?" I ask tentatively.

A familiar figure steps into the moonlight. Tall and light-haired, with a red and white criss-crossed shirt and a mustache reaching around to his sideburns. He gazes down at me huffily. "In the flesh," he states simply. Extending his hand, he asks, "Who are you?" I sigh. "Jenna," I say.

"Delightful to meet you, I suppose. But now, Miss Jenna, we come to the important question: are you for or against this dreadful Mouse?"

"Against," I tell him confidently. "He's the reason I'm where I am now."

"Ah! Splendid. Then we shall have no trouble," he says with a grin disguised as a scowl. "Come on, then: it's the evening now, and the little buggers in the wood would no doubt enjoy a good-sized snack as much as the rest of us; particularly when the snack is, ah, you or I. I've a splendid little hideaway out here: perfect shelter for someone weak like yourself."

I feel my cheeks turn red and anger fill my mind. "I can take care of myself, thank you very much! Just because you've had years of military training doesn't mean I'm helpless like that idiot Clara!" I scream.

I slap my hand over my mouth as Major Mint's face clouds. "That foolish girl…she's the reason we're in this MESS! Her and that idiotic pile of wood!"

Turning my head, I ask, "What can you tell me about it? I'm trying to help fix the problem, if I can." He just shakes his head. "My dear, there is nothing anyone can do now. We defeated the Mouse once, but we cannot do it again! It is now every man for himself, and THAT is exactly what I am doing!"

He turns back to me. "However, if you truly wish to be of service, I can give you something to help you." He vanishes into the treetops, and I squint into the dark branches before hearing him clunk down behind me a few moments later.

Carrying a gold and pink box, he whispers, "This is the crown of Parthenia. Not just the magic replica that wretched Mouse wears: no, this is THE crown. I left the Palace and let Major Mint rule perhaps two…three years ago, and this has been in my possession ever since. I am fifty-three years old, and my skills won't last much longer. I need someone young and determined to protect it." He leans toward me, and I can barely hear his next words.

"Will you, Jenna, be the new guardian of the Crown of Parthenia?"

I gaze at the box for a moment, then slowly, surely, I nod, and Major Mint nods as well, handing me the box. It's very light, but then again, it's only a crown.

"Very well," he murmurs. "You will be a good, fair guardian, I hope. For if you are not, terrible things shall happen to you. Terrible, horrid things."

Suddenly he stands up straight. "Farewell then, Miss Jenna," he says. "Perhaps we shall meet again." Shaking my hand firmly, he leaps back into the dark tree branches, and I raise one hand in farewell before continuing on.

Slipping the box into my knapsack, I take out an apple from my food supply and start munching. I'm finally tired, so I spread out underneath a tree as far as I can get from Major Mint's strange pine-tree hideaway and lay down, using my arms for a pillow. I keep the bag strap around my neck as I drift off into a strange sleep.

I wake up in my dream, but it seems like my eyes are only half-open. I lay in the grass watching different bugs crawl under leaves and fall asleep themselves. I smile softly at the sleeping bugs, and I'm imagining what happens in their dreams. Do they see me sleep?

Suddenly, the worst thing possible happens. The Nutcracker walks by on the path. I try to hold as still as possible, wanting badly to blend into the darkness. I pray in my head. _Please, please, please, God, don't let him find me. Don't let that bastard think I got lost and screwed up and that I need his help when I don't. _

Nutcracker pauses and looks around, but I know he doesn't see me, because he faces forward again and continues straight up the path. Relief flooding through my veins that it was only a dream, I fall into a dark, quiet sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Waking up to bright sunlight in my face, I squeeze my eyelids shut until I've rolled away from the sun. I press my face against the ground, only to give myself a mouthful of grass. I sit up fast, coughing the little green blades out of my mouth.

Wait a minute…

I chew on the grass for a pleasant surprise: it tastes like sugar! I finish munching my mouthful before pulling some bread out of my knapsack. It's almost as hard as a rock: just the way I like it. I tear chunks out with my teeth and stand up, slinging my knapsack over my shoulder as I head back off down the trail.

Gnawing on my bread, I kick up sand with my shoes, laughing with glee whenever I send a little rock flying.

Soon, the sharp smell of salt water and seaweed reaches my nose, and when I round the final bend I can see the beach, glittering blue waves lapping against the gentle sand. I approach the water's edge, peering left and right, and far down the beach to my left I spot dark clouds hovering and the waves becoming gray and frothy. That must be where the sea of storms begins.

I'm so focused on the distant sea that I don't notice the large purple fin looming out of the water until it's almost at the shore. The splashes warn me of something's approach, and I leap back when I spot the fin.

Just in time. A huge, purple eel, with sharp-edged fins and burning black eyes, leaps out of the water, and its snapping jaws close mere yards from where I'm standing.

I leap and roll back on the sand, onto the edge of the path…almost, anyway. My knapsack snags on a rock, and I choke and yo-yo back, my left arm pinned between the bag and the stone. I yank it free, ripping the strap as I do so, and dive across the sand as the eel swings its jaws around to my new location.

Rummaging through the bag, I find nothing but food and the box with the crown. I yank it out, staring uncertainly. Did it just get heavier?

Well, Major Mint _did _say it would help me.

I pull open the box and pull out a heavy, jewel-encrusted sword. No sign of a crown.

Whelp. I guess I can use this somehow.

I heft the sword into the air and swing it wildly until I hear a solid _thwack_. Moaning and with a fair-sized bloody gash on its side, the eel retreats back into the water, and I sigh with relief.

"That's quite a fighting style you've got," a familiar voice says from behind me.

I glance back up at the path, and who should stand there but the Nutcracker. Oh boy. This guy again.

I frown and shove the sword back into the box, where it somehow fits, and clap the lid back on. The Nutcracker's eyes follow it like a puppy watches a piece of steak: his look glazed and hungry, and I clutch the knapsack protectively.

"I'm not exactly trained to fight with swords. I'll do what works for me, thank you." To be honest, I was pretty good with archery at camp, so if the crown could have turned into a bow and arrow I might have done all right. But no, of course not, magic just isn't that helpful. Take the kind that shrank me, for example.

He claps his hands onto his belt and saunters down the beach towards me. "What if what works for you isn't enough? What if swinging it around hurts you instead of your opponent? You need me to teach you how to use it, at least."

I frown at him. I don't like his overconfident attitude. Our playful moment in the ice cave has been left behind, and now that I have something he wants he's become overbearing rather than friendly and helpful.

"What do you want, Nutcracker?" I ask menacingly, letting venom drip from my voice. If he's being over the top polite, I can be over the top awful. Maybe it'll drive this guy away.

He freezes uncomfortably close to me, his wooden chest just pressed against my own tense body. "I want to get my kingdom back," he says quietly. I take a step back, but he follows me, towering high above me and blocking out the sun. "What's the matter, Jenna? Won't you help me?"

I remove my knapsack and lower it to the ground, pretending to open it and reach for the crown box. He leans over me, eager to receive the crown…

…and thrown off balance. I quickly snap the bag shut and swing the heavy bag, box and all, slamming the whole mass into his bent knees.

The Nutcracker goes down, and I leap aside as he crashes face-first into the water. I sprint for the path and the woods, taking off in the direction of the Sea of Storms while slightly protected by the edging layers of trees. After a few moments, I hear the Nutcracker's big feet clopping after me, but they sound distant, and I smile to myself. Once the gray clouds begin in the sky, though, the sound of thunder and heavy waves will hide his steps, so I'll have to be more careful.

The trick of swinging into the trees has worked before, might as well try it again. I scamper up a tree trunk, slipping into the shadows of the branches, and wait him out. As the clomping steps grow louder and louder, I shrink further and further until I've convinced myself that I am, in fact, part of the tree. His black hat comes into view, and he passes right under me, hollering about the crown and the Mouse King and some jibberish about magic.

I wait a few moments, then quietly slide down the tree trunk. Phooey to his magic. I'll use plain old common sense and turn out just fine. The only magic I need is the one that will make me grow, and I can trick that out of the Mouse King fairly easily, I imagine.

I watch the red figure crash through the forest, receding into the distance, and weave my way through the trees until I walk right on the border of the forest and the beach. He doesn't show up again, and when I finally reach the Sea of Storms I can relax a bit.

Captain Candy told me the antidote would be the seaweed littered on the beach, but unlike the normal sand just a few feet away, there are no plants on the beach of storms. I scan the sand, hoping to catch a stray piece, but there's no sign of it.

My pulse races and my breath quickens as my search slowly descends from careful hunting to a desperate search. I practically sprint along the beach, searching for anything that looks even a little bit like a plant, but all I see are rocks and sand, worn smooth by the pounding waves.

Hours later, I sink onto a large boulder and rest my face in my hands. Why can't I find the seaweed? I've looked everywhere: under the rocks, along the beach, at the edge of the path…where could it be?

A small glitter of sunlight against something catches my eye, and I look up, squinting at the reflected object. A single strand of seaweed dances on the waves, and I gasp excitedly, running to the edge of the water. Looking down, I realize the seaweed is farther than I expected…much farther.

An entire forest of seaweed awaits me, able to cure my poisoned hand…if I can swim all the way out to get it. And based on the creatures lurking in the normal waters, I can't imagine what could be waiting in these violent waters. Even if nothing lives here, the undercurrent and the thrashing waves alone could be enough to drown me.

Something under my bandages throbs, and I inhale sharply at the stab of pain. Setting my knapsack on the ground, I unwrap a bit of the fabric and hiss softly. The wound is worse, shaded in violent hues of purple and red and glittering with the uncomfortable hue of evil magic.

I replace my bandages. It's either make the swim, or spend life as the Mouse King's slave. The choice is obvious, but I don't know what to do with my knapsack.

"Hey!" a voice yells over the roar of the waves, and I whirl around to find Nutcracker charging at me.

No chance I'm leaving the crown where he can grab it. Wood can float, but he won't be able to swim against the current very well. Slinging the knapsack over both shoulders, I take a deep breath and plunge into the dark waters.


	6. Chapter 6

The water is icy cold, so much colder than anything I've felt before. I remember the way the fairies turned it to ice – maybe it's still freezing from the thaw. My toes begin to go numb, but I have to keep swimming and reach the seaweed. I don't want to be the Mouse King's slave forever. I want to get out and live a normal life. I have to reach the seaweed. Come on Jenna, _swim._

I fight the pounding waves for what feels like hours, but when I look back I've barely put any space between myself and the shore. I spot the Nutcracker on the shore, running back and forth and panicking, shouting for me to come back. I smirk and keep pushing forward. I'm just lucky he can't swim too well.

_Hey magic sword, I could use a little help here, _I think sarcastically. The heavy weight on my back feels like it's going to drag me down. Why can't the crown turn into something lightweight? Like a carrot? Or a beach ball?

The current shifts in my direction for a moment, and I get a huge surge shoving me further out to sea. Something slimy brushes against my jeans, and I glance down expecting a sea monster. The sword is behind me, so if a giant eel attacks me out here, I'm dead…

…but it's the seaweed.

I laugh with joy and plunge underwater, my hands slipping and sliding as I try to get a grip on the slick plants. I can't quite find a place to grab it.

I surface and take a large breath of air. I guess I'll have to go all the way down to the root and pull it up from there. Inhaling another large gulp, I dive under again and swim hard for the bottom. Luckily, the water isn't too deep, but it's enough that I can feel the pressure popping in my ears. I fumble in the sand, searching for something to pull on, and after several seconds I can feel the air fleeing my lungs. I can't hold it much longer. There's got to be something…

_There_. I wrap both hands around the small clump of dirt anchoring the seaweed to the ocean floor and tug with all my might. The plant floats free, and I shoot for the surface.

I explode out of the water with a large splash and gasp for air, coughing and grunting. I'm sure it's all very attractive for the Nutcracker to watch.

Scanning my immediate area, I spot a large, relatively flat rock closer to shore and paddle over, careful not to loosen my grip on the seaweed. Hauling myself up, I check to make sure nothing fell out of my pack. The remaining food I had is ruined, but the crown and its case seem to be alright.

The Nutcracker hollers at me, but I can't hear him over the waves crashing onshore. Laughing with glee, I rip the bandages off my wound and cringe at its state. The entire area around the little red mark is swollen and tinted yellow, and the wound itself doesn't look too pleasant. I wrap the seaweed around the cut and the surrounding flesh, and a burning sensation immediately stabs me in the hand. I grit my teeth and clench my wrist, hoping that Captain Candy told the truth and that I'm being healed instead of hurt.

My skin throbs and pounds for a long time – a minute, an hour, I'm not sure. Eventually it fades, and I sigh with relief as the pain ebbs. Cautiously, I peek under the seaweed, and gasp as it falls away. The skin on my palm is completely whole again, not a puncture mark, not even a scar in sight. Returned to its normal color, my hand looks quite all right again.

Now to take care of that annoying little Mouse King and get home, and all will be right with the world. One down, two to go.

I glance back at the beach. The Nutcracker still hasn't left, and sits pouting like a spoiled little boy. One down, _three _to go.

Softly, I tighten the straps on my bag and slip into the water, quietly enough that he won't hear the splash over the noise of the waves, and hide behind the rock. I can hear when he looks up and realizes I'm missing; his wild footsteps and frantic musings give away his panic. Eventually it gets quieter, and when I peer around the rock he's storming off down the beach. He must think I swam away to resurface somewhere else.

I crawl ashore and watch his figure grow smaller. I can understand why the people don't want him to be king. He's brave, and he tries very hard to be nice to everyone, but his genuine interest lies in himself, and he seems to enjoy wallowing in self-pity. Maybe someone else should be king…though preferably not the mouse. Maybe there's a decent girl somewhere. Setting up a queen wouldn't be a bad idea. This kingdom is kind of sexist anyway.

The Nutcracker won't give up his title easily. He won't want anyone else to be king, once the mouse is disposed of. Oh well. I'm pretty sure he can't do much against the will of his entire people, as well as the person in charge of the magic crown.

I realize I've stood in one place too long and quickly slip into the woods before the Nutcracker turns around again. I walk for a few minutes before realizing I don't have a plan. It would be idiotic to just march into the palace and demand that the Mouse King bring me back to normal size, especially all by myself. If the mouse were to get hold of the real crown, who knows what damage he could cause? There would be no hope whatsoever for the people…or for me.

My best bet is to head back to Captain Candy and the village and try to make a plan. Maybe I can convince Major Mint to help us strategize, since he knows the castle layout well.

Lost in my thoughts, I barely notice the tree stump until I trip over it. Mumbling curses, I glance back at it. Small, narrow, unimportant…besides the fact that it _glows._

I scramble back, the realization actually hitting me. The tree stump is glowing. Stumps don't glow. The tree is dead. Dead things also do not glow.

My first thought is to run, and I stand up ready to do just that when a small purple figure emerges from the glowing stump and waves at me. I kneel down to find a tiny fairy: similar to the snow fairies I met earlier, but this one wears flowers and a skirt made of pansy petals.

"Hello," I say gently. It never hurts to make new friends, especially if they have magic powers. The fairy smiles and curtsies at me, babbling a rapid greeting. "Yes, it's lovely to meet you too. Could you tell me why this stump is glowing?" I ask politely.

She explains that the fairies have been hiding in the cave under the stump since the mouse king's return. "It's not safe for us anymore," she says. "We don't want to get locked up under the well again, so we stay in this piece of the woods."

"That makes sense. No reason to run around getting captured when you're alright here," I add sympathetically. She seems to enjoy my pity. What a strange world this is.

"Would you like to come in?" she asks. I'm about to refuse, but then I remember the Nutcracker is nearby and that I don't have a plan anyway. Now that I don't have to worry about the poison in my hand, I've got a little time for plotting…as well as forging alliances. "Absolutely, thank you very much," I say softly.

She gestures for me to step onto the stump, and I do so. It slowly lowers down into the ground like an elevator, and when we reach the floor I step off and she rapidly lifts it back to its original position. "Welcome!" she says cheerfully.

As my eyes adjust to the torchlight, I see dozens- no, hundreds of fairies flitting about. A bustling culture thrives in this cave without the humans even knowing. I glance about, amazed by their quick work. In the short months since the mouse's return, they've built homes, shops, boats and cars – everything their society needs.

It was definitely smart to be their friend.


End file.
